Standard Lemma guide

autopilot

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɔːtəʊˌpaɪlət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɔtoʊˌpaɪlət/
  • General-American: [ˈɔ.ɾoʊˌpaɪlət]
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑtoʊˌpaɪlət/
  • cot-caught-merger: [ˈɑ.ɾoʊˌpaɪlət]
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 T OW0 P AY2 L AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, nautical, physical-sciences, transport

Examples

  • I set the autopilot to due south, so I could get some rest.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A state of mind where one no longer thinks about doing one's actions, but acts mechanically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable

Examples

  • I've been doing this 12 hours non-stop, and am so hungry and tired that I've stopped thinking: I'm now on autopilot.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To pilot itself; to drive or travel automatically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a navigational device that automatically keeps ships or planes or spacecraft on a steady course

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: automatic pilot, robot pilot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

5

noun

Meaning 5

a cognitive state in which you act without self-awareness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she went about her chores on automatic pilot
  • too much of the writing seems to have been done on automatic pilot
  • she talked and he dozed and my mind went on autopilot

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: automatic pilot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unconsciousness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ewder.? Proto-Indo-European *sóder.? Proto-Indo-European *h2ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón)? Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *mn̥tós Proto-Hellenic *mətós Ancient Greek αὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos) Ancient Greek αὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)der. Classical Latin automatum New Latin automaticusbor. English automaticclip. English auto- English pilot English autopilot From auto- + pilot.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: автопило́т (avtopilót) — guiding system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自動駕駛儀 /自动驾驶仪 (zìdòng jiàshǐyí) — guiding system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自動駕駛 /自动驾驶 (zìdòng jiàshǐ) — guiding system
  • Danish: autopilot — guiding system
  • Dutch: automatische piloot — guiding system
  • Finnish: automaattiohjaus — guiding system
  • Finnish: autopilotti — guiding system
  • French: pilote automatique — guiding system
  • German: Autopilot — guiding system
  • Japanese: オートパイロット (ōtopairotto) — guiding system
  • Korean: 오토파일럿 (otopailleot) — guiding system
  • Macedonian: автопи́лот (avtopílot) — guiding system
  • Malay: autopandu — guiding system
  • Malay: autojuruterbang — guiding system
  • Norwegian Bokmål: autopilot — guiding system
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: autopilot — guiding system
  • Polish: automatyczny pilot — guiding system
  • Polish: autopilot — guiding system
  • Portuguese: piloto automático — guiding system
  • Romanian: pilot automat — guiding system
  • Romanian: autopilot — guiding system
  • Russian: автопило́т (avtopilót) — guiding system
  • Spanish: piloto automático — guiding system
  • Spanish: autopiloto — guiding system
  • Swedish: autopilot — guiding system
  • Turkish: otopilot — guiding system
  • Ukrainian: автопіло́т (avtopilót) — guiding system
  • Bulgarian: автопило́т (avtopilót) — state of mind
  • Hungarian: automatizmus — state of mind
  • Hungarian: gépiesség — state of mind